Michael Studivan - NOAA/AOML

Research Highlights

August 8, 2022

Coral Rescue in Miami Beach

January 24, 2022

Sediments a Likely Culprit in Spread of Deadly Disease on Florida Coral Reefs, Study Finds

July 20, 2021

Scientists at AOML Present Coral Research at the First Virtual International Coral Reef Symposium

Research Interests

Use of advanced molecular techniques to better understand coral physiology, health, and adaptation to multiple environments.

Understanding genetic connectivity of coral ecosystems in marginal environments.

Michael S. Studivan, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist (University of Miami/CIMAS), Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division

305.361.4361

Michael.Studivan@noaa.gov

4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149

“Beyond my research and academic interests, I am an avid Trimix technical diver, filmmaker, and girl dad. In addition to the production and dissemination of cutting-edge ‘omics research, I believe that outreach and education are key to the advancement of effective management strategies and better representation of science with the general public.”

About

Michael Studivan is a principal investigator at CIMAS and University of Miami lead of the Experimental Reef Laboratory (ERL). His research involves the use of advanced molecular techniques to better understand coral physiology and adaptation, as well as genetic connectivity of coral ecosystems in marginal environments. He aims to identify molecular mechanisms at the individual level that may affect population-wide ecosystem processes in variable environments, particularly in light of recent coral disease outbreaks on Florida’s Coral Reef and the wider Caribbean. He completed his graduate degrees and postdoctoral fellowship at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Studivan’s dissertation research addressed mesophotic coral ecosystem connectivity and mesophotic coral morphology/physiology using genotyping, skeletal morphometrics, and gene expression profiling with Montastraea cavernosa from the Gulf of America (Flower Garden Banks and Pulley Ridge) and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (Carrie Bow Cay, Belize). For his postdoctoral research, he characterized the response of corals to stony coral tissue loss disease and intervention strategies using RNA-Seq gene expression profiling and 3D modeling.

Current Work & CV

Current Work

Associate Scientist, Coral Program, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division

Down oad Full CV

Education

2011, B.A. Biology, Minors: Film & Media Studies, Environmental Studies Degree, cum laude, GPA: 3.7, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, Maryland

2016, M.S. Biological Science, GPA: 4.0, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

2018, Ph.D. Integrative Biology, GPA: 4.0, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

Publications

Bright, A.J., D.E. Williams, K.N. Grazioso, S. Ippolito, M.S. Studivan, and M.C. Ladd. Quicklook Report—Coral spawning 2023: Activities and observations. NMFS-Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 15 pp., https://doi.org/10.25923/vpn5-vj64 2024
Ref. 4408
Young, B.D., O.M. Williamson, N.S. Kron, N. Andrade Rodriguez, L.M. Isma, N.J. Macknight, E.M. Muller, S.M. Rosales, S.M. Sirotzke, N. Traylor-Knowles, S.D. Williams, and M.S. Studivan. Annotated genome and transcriptome of the endangered Caribbean mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) using PacBio long-read sequencing. BMC Genomics, 25:226, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10092-w 2024
Ref. 4391
Enochs, I.C., M.S. Studivan, G. Kolodziej, C. Foord, I. Basden, A. Boyd, N. Formel, A. Kirkland, E. Rubin, M. Jankulak, I. Smith, C.R. Kelble, and D.P. Manzello. Coral persistence despite marginal conditions in the Port of Miami. Scientific Reports, 13:6759, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33467-7 2023
Ref. 4256

View all Related Publications

Bright, A.J., D.E. Williams, K.N. Grazioso, S. Ippolito, M.S. Studivan, and M.C. Ladd. Quicklook Report—Coral spawning 2023: Activities and observations. NMFS-Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 15 pp., https://doi.org/10.25923/vpn5-vj64 2024
Ref. 4408
Young, B.D., O.M. Williamson, N.S. Kron, N. Andrade Rodriguez, L.M. Isma, N.J. Macknight, E.M. Muller, S.M. Rosales, S.M. Sirotzke, N. Traylor-Knowles, S.D. Williams, and M.S. Studivan. Annotated genome and transcriptome of the endangered Caribbean mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) using PacBio long-read sequencing. BMC Genomics, 25:226, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10092-w 2024
Ref. 4391
Enochs, I.C., M.S. Studivan, G. Kolodziej, C. Foord, I. Basden, A. Boyd, N. Formel, A. Kirkland, E. Rubin, M. Jankulak, I. Smith, C.R. Kelble, and D.P. Manzello. Coral persistence despite marginal conditions in the Port of Miami. Scientific Reports, 13:6759, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33467-7 2023
Ref. 4256
Johnston, M.A., M.S. Studivan, I.C. Enochs, A.M.S. Correa, N. Besemer, R.J. Eckert, K. Edwards, R. Hannum, X, Hu, M. Nuttall, K. O’Connell, A.M. Palacio-Castro, G.P. Schmahl, A.B. Sturm, B. Ushijima, and J.D. Voss. Coral disease outbreak at the remote Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of America. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10:1111749, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1111749 2023
Ref. 4223
Morris, J.T., I.C. Enochs, M.S. Studivan, B.D. Young, A.B. Mayfield, N. Soderberg, N. Traylor-Knowles, G. Kolodziej, and D. Manzello. Ocean acidification influences the gene expression and physiology of two Caribbean bioeroding sponges. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10:1223380, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1223380 2023
Ref. 4311
Robertson, E.P., D.P. Walsh, J. Martin, T.M. Work, C.A. Kellogg, J.S. Evans, V. Barker, A. Hawthorn, G. Aeby, V.J. Paul, B.K. Walker, Y. Kiryu, C.M. Woodley, J.L. Meyer, S.M. Rosales, M.S. Studivan, J.F. Moore, M.E. Brandt, and A. Bruckner. Rapid prototyping for quantifying belief weights of competing hypotheses about emergent diseases. Journal of Environmental Management, 337:117668, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117668 2023
Ref. 4245
Studivan, M.S., RJ. Eckert, E. Shilling, N. Soderberg, I.C. Enochs, and J.D. Voss. Stony coral tissue loss disease intervention with amoxicillin leads to a reversal of disease-modulated gene expression pathways. Molecular Ecology, 32(19):5394-5413, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17110 2023
Ref. 4309
Sturm, A.S., R.J. Eckert, A.M. Carreiro, A.M. Klein, M.S. Studivan, D. Dodge Farelli, N. Simões, P. González-Díaz, J. González Méndez, and J.D. Voss. Does depth divide? Variable genetic connectivity patterns among shallow and mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa coral populations across the Gulf of America and western Caribbean. Ecology and Evolution, 13(11):e10622, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10622 2023
Ref. 4353
Zhang, Y., S.E. Gantt, E.F. Keister, H. Elder, G. Kolodziej, C. Aguilar, M.S. Studivan, D.E. Williams, D.W. Kemp, D.P. Manzello, I.C. Enochs, and C.D. Kenkel. Performance of Orbicella faveolata larval cohorts does not align with previously observed thermal tolerance of adult source populations. Global Change Biology, 29(23):6591-6605, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16977 2023
Ref. 4341
Studivan, M.S., A.M. Rossin, E. Rubin, N. Soderberg, D.M. Holstein, and I.C. Enochs. Reef sediments can act as a stony coral tissue loss disease vector. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:815698, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.815698 2022
Ref. 4061
Studivan, M.S., M. Baptist, V. Molina, S. Riley, M. First, N. Soderberg, E. Rubin, A. Rossin, D. Holstein, and I.C. Enochs. Transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in simulated ballast water confirms the potential for ship-borne spread. Scientific Reports, 12:19248, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21868-z 2022
Ref. 4189
Combs, I.R., M.S. Studivan, R.J. Eckert, and J.D. Voss. Quantifying impacts of stony coral tissue loss disease on corals in southeast Florida through surveys and 3D photogrammetry. PLoS ONE, 16(6):30252593, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252593 2021
Ref. 3981
Kolodziej, G., M.S. Studivan, A.C.R. Gleason, C. Langdon, I.C. Enochs, and D.P. Manzello. Impacts of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) on coral community structure at an inshore patch reef of the upper Florida Keys using photomosaics. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:682163, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.682163 2021
Ref. 3993
Studivan, M.S., A. Shatters, D.L. Dodge, J.L. Beal, and J.D. Voss. Synergistic effects of thermal stress and estuarine discharge on transcriptomic variation of Montastraea cavernosa corals in southeast Florida. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:662220, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.662220 2021
Ref. 3971
Studivan, M.S., and J.D. Voss. Transcriptomic plasticity of mesophotic corals among natural populations and transplants of Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of America and Belize. Molecular Ecology, 29(13):2399-2415, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15495 2020
Ref. 3828

Awards

CIMAS Cash-In-A-Flash Award, Sep 2025

OAR Team Members of the Year – Outreach and Education 2023

For exemplary response to the unexpected and unprecedented 2023 coral bleaching event in South Florida and their efforts to communicate the event to the American public.

Department of Commerce Certificate of Recognition, Bronze Medal Award, Nov 2023

Best Student Poster, Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems Gordon Research Conference, June 2018

FAU Three Minute Thesis Heat Second Runner-Up, November 2016

Best Student Oral Presentation, 13th International Coral Reef Symposium, June 2016

Film “Black & Blue: Estuarine Discharge on St. Lucie Reef” selected for screening at Beneath the Waves Film Festival, Portland, ME, March 2016

Film “Exploring Twilight Reefs of the Flower Garden Banks” selected for screening at the BLUE Gulf Film Festival, Corpus Christi, TX, November 2015

Outstanding Graduate Student Poster, Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 2015

Biology Department Award, Overall Excellence in an Oral Presentation of a St. Mary’s Project, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, May 2011

Biology Department Award, Academic Distinction and Service, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, May 2011

Study Abroad Award, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, March 2010

Academic Achievement Scholarship, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, August 2009

Smart Grant, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, August 2009

US National Research Council. Postdoctoral fellowship to work with scientists at NOAA- AOML on coral diseases 2019-2020